One drop, two drops, three drops
by arekxandura
Summary: He didn't know he was going to give her to the ice mage this way. [Gajuvia Brotp. Gruvia.]


Fullbuster's throat was ripping screams, his eyes too far gone in the darkness to show his enemy mercy. Ice was everywhere—on the ground, in the air, crawling on the two mages' skin.

Juvia was limp in the iron dragon slayer's arms. The man closed his eyes, trying to drown the smell of his friend's blood, the red liquid tainting his fingertips and the brims of his clothes.

 _She's dead._

Fullbuster is shouting her name, over and over again as if the syllables would manifest itself into the water mage's being and she would wake up, smile, and everything would go back to normal.

He wants to kick the winter mage's arse as well, but he knew that the death of the man would never justify the death of one of his closest friends.

 _"Juvia wants to join Fairy Tail."_

 _He sneers at her, propping his feet up the table in front of him and rolls his eyes. "Tch. Do what you want. Not like it matters to me anyway."_

 _"Juvia would like you to come with her," she prods gently, settling herself on the chair beside him. "It seems like a very happy guild. You deserve to be happy too, Gajeel-kun."_

 _"A rain woman like you shouldn't pry into other people's business," he says harshly, and she flinches at the nickname, biting her lip. "Just go. Go to those fairies."_

He frowns at the memory. Tears were starting to form in his eyes, and he held his best friend tighter. "You selfish, selfless, stupid idiot," Gajeel muttered under his breath, trying to ignore the wave of emotions that threatened to overtake his being. "You promised you would live for the ones you love."

 _"Gajeel-kun has to be more careful!" The blue haired woman dabbed a cold piece of cloth on his arm, and he hissed. She shakes his head at him, "there's nothing we can do, just bear with it."_

 _"If that stupid bastard hadn't been aimin' for that bookworm—"_

 _Juvia beams. "Does Gajeel-kun have a crush?"_

 _A dash of red passes his cheeks and he snarls, before looking away. The water mage smiles knowingly anyway._

Invel is shouting incoherently but he doesn't care because Fullbuster interrupts the bastard by sending a flurry of dark blades in his direction.

 _"Why do you keep on showering him shit when he doesn't give a fuck about you?"_

 _She glares at him as he takes a cookie, shoving it in his mouth. Pantherlily is a little more dignified sd he nibbles on a biscuit. "Gray-sama took Juvia's rain away!"_

 _"So?"_

 _"So Juvia loves him!" Her voice softens, and she sighs. Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her sudden loss of confidence. "Juvia loves him, and she understands that Gray-sama might never be able to return the feelings she has for him, but she likes doing stuff like this because she is grateful." She releases another sigh. "No amount of gifts I give him will return the gift he gave to me, though."_

 _He ruffles her hair, and Juvia protests. She rolls her eyes, nevertheless._

"I'm sorry," he whispers to her pale form, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. "If you had never told the master to let me join Fairy Tail... If you had never been my best friend..."

 _"Gajeel-kun, wake up!"_

 _The first thing he sees is the dark. His breathing is ragged, short breaths entering and escaping his mouth. Sweat lined his brow, pupils dilated as he searched for the the water mage._

 _"It's just a nightmare," she says, patting his shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry."_

 _"Levy is—Levy," he's shaking, and all he can utter is the name of the person he loves. He can't form a sentence, but he tries: "the tree."_

 _Juvia's nods in understanding, sitting beside him as he attempts to calm the rate of his heart and the guilt of nailing the girl to a fucking tree. When Juvia doesn't speak, he mutters,_

 _"How many times?"_

 _"Three. You called Levy-san three times."_

 _She's willing to listen, he thinks, waiting for him to talk so he'll be able to release whatever emotions he was concealing._

 _"I don't want that to happen again," Gajeel says, placing his elbows on his knees and leaning forward. "I don't want to hurt her again."_

 _"You won't. I believe it."_

 _He looks at her. Juvia's words were as sincere as her smile. She was right._

She was alive at the start of the battle, whipping forward beside her loved one. How can someone so alive just disappear?

Juvia doesn't deserve this.

 _She's crying._

 _For a moment, he doesn't know what to do._

 _The rain is strong as it hammered on the windowpane, and he peeks at her from the barrage of stuff toys she liked to keep close. "Oi."_

 _Juvia flinches as she hears his voice. She looks at him, crystalline tears streaming past her cheeks as she attempted to cease her weeping. "Gajeel-kun," she says softly, voice shaking. "What are you doing here?"_

 _"The rain smelled like you."_

 _She groans at this, slumping over her bed as she rubbed a hand over her eyes. "Everything's fine, Gajeel-kun."_

 _"Doesn't seem fine to me."_

 _He rises from his position, crossing his arms over his broad chest and looming over her form almost threateningly. "Who did this to you?"_

 _"No one," she replies, shaking her head. "Nightmare. Gray-sama. . ." She shuts her eyes, trying to forget the memory that had repeated itself in her mind over and over again. ". . . Died."_

 _"Well, he's alive now, ain't he?" He blurts out. "Gotta keep him that way, then."_

 _Despite everything, Juvia stiffles a giggle. "Of course."_

He feels guilty. He wasn't able to say goodbye. He was never able to thank her for supporting his relationship with a person he had once hurt, for incorporating him into the guild, for being by his side during missions, and for being his best friend.

He was never able to thank her, and now, she's . . .

 _"Juvia'll see you soon."_

 _"Tch, 'course ya will." He's slinging his pack over his shoulder, Pantherlily floating beside him. Levy's bidding everyone her farewells, so he figured he should do the same. "Where ya headed now?"_

 _She shrugs. "Wherever the water will take Juvia."_

 _"I have no idea what that means."_

 _"Juvia expected that, Gajeel-kun." A playful smirk is on her lips._

 _"Why, I oughtta—"_

 _"Bye bye! See you soon!" She grins mischievously and walks away._

 _"What was that about?" Levy asked suddenly. Gajeel flinches in surprise, glancing from one blue-haired woman to another._

 _"Nothin'," he says, shaking his head._

 _He can hear Juvia laughing in the distance. He is so gonna kill her when they see each other again._

"I'm sorry," he repeats, as if Juvia could hear him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Fullbuster stands victorious, his hands turned into fists. He's motionless in the middle of the field, staring into space as if he was waiting for something to happen.

"Thank you," Gajeel lets out. "For Fairy Tail. For being my fr—b-best friend. My fucking _sister_. For everything."

Her eyes remain closed.

He hears a thud in the distance, and Gray is looking at the both of them, his knees slumped on the ground as he stared.

She wasn't going to wake up.

Gajeel walks to Gray, trying not to think about the stories Juvia had told him—she would wed the person she loved and he would walk her down the aisle, like the brother he was.

He didn't know he was going to give her to the ice mage this way.

"I'm sorry," Gray chokes out.

He gnaws on the inside of his cheek. "I'm sorry too."

A drop of water lands on Gajeel's nose, and he looks up. The sky is a pale gray. One drop. Two drops. Three drops.

It's raining.


End file.
